Job Interview? Dare to be Authentic

I was working with a client the other day, helping her prep for a job interview. We were doing this not in person, but on the computer. I asked her a not-so-straightforward interview question and 30 seconds into her answer, I found my eyes straying from her face to some of the other tabs that were open on my computer screen.

"Stop!" I put my hand up and confessed what had happened. I pointed out that if her own coach was losing interest, then it was clear her answers needed to be shorter and more to the point. Especially during a real interview, when the time and attention span of the interviewer may be more limited. The problem is, that's not who she is. She's a thinker. It takes her a while to formulate her thoughts. So what to do?

In a recent Harvard Business Review article, the author wrote that in studies she helped conduct, the research showed participants, playing the role of job applicants, who were perceived as "genuine" and "authentic" were more likely to be hired than those who weren't. The study specifically tested how effective people were when they tried to "cater" to "the interests, preferences, and expectations" of the potential employer. They came up short.

Researchers found that trying to cater, by slanting answers and stifling authentic personalities, caused stress and anxiety for the applicants. Not surprisingly, they didn't perform well and came across as inauthentic in interviews. However, "on the scores assigned by the research assistant, those who behaved authentically were 26% more likely to be hired than those who catered".

An added bonus, I would add, is that when you are your authentic self, the people who hire you will have an accurate idea of who they're choosing and you will deliver what they want.

That said, we're working with human nature here. I worked in the news for 20 years and now I'm a professional speaker. I know first-hand that you need to stir interest and desire. First impressions count. You need to be engaging to get the chance to reveal the value you offer.

So, again, what to do?

My advice to clients is to be strategically authentic. In a time-sensitive situation, meeting people for the very first time, you can turn the volume up on the parts of yourself that connect well with others and turn it down on the parts that, at first blush, might not.

Now, that might not satisfy the author of the Harvard Business Review article, who warns it can be "draining" trying to take a strategic approach. But there is an argument to be made for being pragmatic, too. The author of a Fortune article, (and I might point out I don't entirely agree with all the points in this article either), writes that "The ability to subordinate one’s views and feelings is a critical skill for advancing and surviving in the workplace." There is a valid point in there, although I would argue that trying to do that for a sustained period of time leads to something I like to call behavioural leakage. More on that in a moment...

Right now, let's talk about how can you be strategically authentic in job interviews:

1) Find the overlap between what you're truly passionate about and the passion required for the job you're applying to do. Grounding yourself in that authentic passion will get you immediately in the right frame of mind and emotional space to be, and be seen as, authentic.

2) Once you're in that space, role play an interview and practice your answers. Again and again. Make sure that the person playing the interviewer provides feedback on what you say that really grabs attention, and what doesn't. The more you practice, the more you'll end up boiling down your answers to the best authentic bits and the more comfortable they will feel.

3) Have a handy structure to fall back on, to be able to handle unexpected questions. I like the STAR method: situation, task, action, result. Again, this may feel a little formulaic or forced at the start, but the more you practice, the more natural it will feel. It can even be fun!

4) Tell stories in your answers whenever you can. We are hardwired to respond warmly to people who are adept at painting pictures with words. Once again, your stories need to be practiced, so that they don't ramble on. They should also have a strong structure: an attention-grabbing beginning, concise middle and an end that answers the initial question.

5) Keep your answers short and to the point. When we're stressed, we often babble. I remember when I first started reporting, I was so eager to pack in everything at the end of a story that the director had to shout "Wrap!" in my earpiece several times to stop me eating up air time. If the interviewer is engaged and wants to know more, you will be asked.

6) Ask your own questions. You need to make sure your authentic self would be a good fit at the company you're considering. This is a two-way street. Interviewers can be inauthentic too, trying to present the company's best face. Carefully crafted questions can reveal that. Those could include everything from "what's your definition of success in this role?" to "what's your company's mission?" followed by "how do you see the person who fills this position will help to achieve that mission?" and even "how could I achieve help achieve it?".

I know that not everyone will agree with these suggestions. Or they may have others I haven't covered. Feel free to comment, of course. But don't knock them until you try them. Think of this just like dressing for an interview, making sure your shoes are polished—only this is about polishing you, your authentic self, with a high shine on what fits the role best.

I mentioned the phrase "behavioural leakage" (and I dare you to forget that now that you've seen it). The reason you have to be yourself, even daring to admit where you don't have strengths or experience, is because when you try to be something that you're not, you cannot keep it up. Your true self eventually "leaks" out, through nonverbal clues or things that you say or do. That can put your wellbeing and your job at risk. If you dare to be genuine in interviews, you will likely find companies that encourage bringing your "whole self" to work, imperfections and all. You might want to read the book that's sparked that movement.

Practicing strategic authenticity, you can find the sweet spot that allows the true you to shine through in any interview: strategic in your delivery, authentic in your passion and purpose.